8/18/2009 @ 6:45PM

PlayStation3: Too Little, Too Late

Not only has
Sony
gone from first to last in the market for videogame consoles, it has done so at the worst possible moment.
Nintendo
‘s Wii and games such as “Rock Band” and “Guitar Hero” have pushed the on-screen action into the living room, turning console gaming from geek to chic.

Now
Sony’s
latest move, slashing the PlayStation3′s price by $100 to $299 and offering a thinner version of the ginormous console, has almost no hope of making a difference. That’s because Sony’s technology-packed console will remain more expensive than either the Xbox 360, which starts at less than $20,0 and the Wii, which sells for $250.

Not a good place to be, with price cuts for those consoles almost surely on the way. And while Sony’s offering is packed with expensive technology, it’s the least mature where it matters most: motion-sensitive controllers and online gaming.

Both
Nintendo
and
Microsoft
are pressing their advantage in those areas. Nintendo is bundling its latest game, “Wii Sports Resort,” with an add-on that allows its WiiMote controller to pick up an even wider range of motion. Microsoft, meanwhile, is larding its Xbox Live online gaming service with movies, videogames and even live, interactive game shows.